Project: GRR
by wyverna
Summary: Summer's got a new boyfriend and the rest of the gang don't like him. But how to get rid of him? This calls for... A PLAN!
1. Chapter 1

**Project: GRR.**

"So, Summer, what's all this about a new boyfriend?" Katie asked cheerfully, ignoring the shocked look on her best friend's face. Freddy and Zack looked up from their coffees at this news, clearly not having heard it before, and Summer glanced around, panicked for one of the first and only times in her life.

"Uh… uh…" she stammered, trying to ignore Freddy and Zack's accusatory looks. "I… I don't…"

"Yeah, what new boyfriend, Summer?" Freddy interrupted, glaring at the dark haired young girl. "You never told us about some new guy in your life!"

Summer lifted her head, looking Freddy directly in the eyes for the first time since she'd entered the dark little coffee shop. "I never told you because I knew you'd have exactly this reaction," she replied, quietly but clearly. "You never approve of any of my boyfriends, and that goes for you as well, Zack."

Zack looked down at his worn black Converse, a little ashamed, but Freddy just folded his arms and leaned back in his seat.

"Don't lie, Summer," he said easily, taking a sip of his black coffee, which none of the other three could stand to drink. "We all know it's just 'cause you're ashamed of us."

"I… I am not!" Summer flushed slightly, knowing that her friends would have noticed the slight hesitation that came there. The slight colour in her cheeks brought Freddy's statement to Zack's attention, and he sat up a little straighter, scrutinising Summer.

"Oh my," he said quietly, appearing a little taken aback. "You actually _are_. Freddy's right for once."

Katie peered at her friend, too, and Summer covered her face with her hands and curled up in her seat, embarrassed by all the attention. "I'm not ashamed of you guys," she mumbled from behind her fingers. "I just don't think you'd get along with Ryan, that's all."

"Ooh, like Ryan Ross? Is he hot?" Katie asked immediately, bouncing in her seat and ignoring the dark looks she got from the boys at her musical reference.

"Um, I guess he looks a little like Ryan Ross, yeah," Summer mused, happy at the slight subject change. "Dark eyes, the same kind of hair… but Ryan - _my_ Ryan - is a lot more… I don't know. Special."

"Aww," Katie grinned happily, but Freddy narrowed his eyes, having picked up on one of Summer's rushed phrases.

"'_Your_ Ryan'?" He grimaced, pulling a face. "So he's yours now? So much for 'new' boyfriend; I'm not falling for that one. So how long has this been going on?"

"First of all, Freddy, you started your last three sentences with 'so'," Summer pointed out quietly, but Freddy just ignored her. "Secondly, we've been officially dating for nearly three months now. It will be our three month anniversary tonight."

"So why don't you invite him over and we can all meet him?" Freddy replied quickly, sitting back in his seat with the air of one who has just delivered an unmistakeable challenge.

Summer frowned, glancing around. "Are you serious?" When she got no reaction, she became slightly more panicked. "But… But you always said that you hate it when people celebrate stupid things like three months!"

No one argued and eventually she subsided, accepting defeat. "Fine," she mumbled, folding her arms sulkily, and a slow smile spread across Zack's face as he realized how similar she looked to Freddy's pose, a few moments earlier. "We'll meet you here, tomorrow, at six. But he's bringing his friends too."

"That's great, Summer," Freddy said cheerfully, leaping up and grabbing his jacket. "Just great!"

Summer gave them all one last desperate look before leaving the coffee shop, Freddy following close behind. Katie suddenly became unusually shy, appearing to be more interested by tracing designs in the frothy cream of her cappuccino. She glanced up to see Zack's dark eyes fixed on her own, and an unfamiliar blush stained her tan cheeks.

"I've got to go," she gabbled quickly, throwing a five dollar bill down on the table and rushing from the shop, leaving Zack alone with his thoughts.

Katie did look beautiful when she was embarrassed, he mused, reaching for the pen and pad of paper on the table. If only she'd hang around long enough for him to tell her.


	2. Chapter 2

"_Prithee my dear_... _why are we here_..._ nobody knows_..."

_The Pixies; I Bleed_

"Summer? Where are you taking me?" Summer smiled up at the tall man holding her hand, and squeezed it tightly. She couldn't help thinking, at times like this, just how lucky she was to have a guy like Ryan. She wasn't exactly a good catch, she told herself that every day, but _he_ certainly was.

"It's a surprise," she said happily, swinging her arm slightly and Ryan stopped it abruptly, glaring down at her.

"Summer, you _know_ that I don't like surprises." Summer felt the bile rise in her throat, as she got that sick feeling that she'd done something wrong again. She hurriedly swallowed it down, reminding herself that she _was_ the manager of an up-and-coming local band after all – it was her mantra, her good-luck charm, the way she proved to herself that she must be doing _something_ right.

"I'm s-sorry, Ry," she apologized, thinking back on how hard it had been for her to say that at first. _I'm sorry_ had never been a phrase in Summer Hathaway's book, she preferred to just take things as they came, sometimes having the grace to look a _little_ ashamed, but since meeting Ryan she'd got used to saying it.

Besides, Ryan was _special_. She had to make some exceptions for him.

"So I'm going to ask you again, Summer, and this time I expect a proper answer. Where are you taking me?" He softened slightly when he saw her startled expression, allowing her a rare smile. "I'm sorry, Sum, I overreacted. You know I don't mean to act like this, it's just... my father..."

Summer always felt honored, in a bizarre way, when he spoke of his father. He rarely spoke about his father to anyone, and Summer knew it was a touchy subject. She just felt lucky that Ryan allowed her to see the softer side of him, the vulnerable side. She knew that he seemed stand-offish and perhaps even a little harsh to outsiders, but they didn't know him like she did.

"I want you to meet my friends," she whispered, hoping it would turn the subject onto lighter issues. "I invited JD and Trent as well, so don't worry, you won't be completely outnumbered!" she added with a light laugh, referring to two of Ryan's oldest and best friends.

Ryan scowled at her, however, his good humor darkening. "Summer, do I _have_ to meet your little friends?"

Summer flushed, uncomfortable under his gaze and not for the first time. Nevertheless, she refused to let him intimidate her. "Yes, Ryan, you do. They're very important to me and, well... so are you."

Ryan's face broke into a smile and, picking her up, he swung her around in the air, laughing as he heard her delighted squeals. "I can think of a billion things in the world I'd rather do than hang out in that dusty old coffee shop you seem to adore," he started, setting her down gently and enjoying her touch as she clung onto him to steady herself, still dizzy. "But, because this is what you want, this is how I'm going to spend my afternoon."

A smile curved her mouth, and Ryan couldn't help thinking how beautiful she looked when her eyes sparkled like that. Impulsively, he bent down and kissed her rosebud mouth, loving the way her eyes lit up and amazed by the fact that _he_, Ryan Jameson, could make her so happy.

"You look like a fairy," he told her quietly, "from the old tales. No wonder your friends call you Tinkerbell."

Summer laughed, walking close beside him as he casually slung his arm around her shoulders. "What do you mean?"

"Well, let me think," Ryan teased her, affection clearly visible in his warm brown eyes. "Jet black hair, ruby red lips, big brown eyes, creamy porcelain skin, tiny pixie like stature... Sum, you're just too good to be true!"

"I am _not_," Summer protested, pushing him playfully. "_You're_ the one that's too good to be true."

"Hey, I was only talking about the way you look," Ryan pointed out, tightening his hold on her and feeling happy as she leaned into him. "What about the way you always put others before yourself – _especially_ this band, who don't even seem to notice half the sacrifices you make for them."

"Ryan, they're not like that," Summer argued, although a secret part of her felt pleased that at least _someone_ noticed.

"Yes, well, I suppose I'll have to decide that for myself," Ryan replied, his lips tightening, and Summer couldn't help feeling like his mind was already made up. Oh well, they'd wanted to meet him and after all, it wasn't the end of the world if her boyfriend and band didn't get along. There were other, more important things.

She wondered if JD and Trent would turn up. She hoped not; although having them around would make Ryan more relaxed, they would not get on at all with the rest of her band. She bit her lip nervously as they neared the coffee shop and a thought struck her. She realized that in her mind she'd got into the habit of referring to Freddy, Katie and Zack as 'her band,' and not as her best friends.

She quickly pushed these thoughts away as the familiar grime-streaked window of the tiny shop came into view and she pretended not to notice as Ryan wrinkled his nose in distaste. Well, maybe she noticed a _little_. But only because he looked so cute when he did that.

She hit the door in the exact right way to make it open, one only regulars knew, and couldn't help letting a pleased smile show when she saw Freddy, Katie and Zack sat in their usual seat. They'd clearly made an effort, for her, and although Freddy was still in his oldest Metallica shirt he'd at least changed out of his tatty, holey jeans into a pair of black combat pants – not _much_ of an improvement, but with Freddy you had to take everything you could get.

Ryan was looking a bit uncomfortable and Summer thought for the first time how awkward this must be for him. The first time she'd met his friends, there'd only been one of them each time, and it hadn't been arranged like this had. But Ryan had heard so much about her friends, he must feel like it was hard for him to measure up. She gave him a quick peck on the lips before leading him over to one of the soft leather couches and he sat down next to her.

Katie smiled, obviously approving of what she saw so far, and Ryan gave her a faint smile in return. Summer flashed her friend a relieved smile, knowing she could rely on _Katie_ at least. "So, Ryan," Katie said cheerfully, "it's nice to meet you at last. We've heard a lot about you," this in a sly tone.

"Uh, thanks," Ryan said, his smile deepening and bringing out the dimples in his cheeks that Summer adored. "All good, I hope."

"Yeah, Summer never shuts up about you." Summer glared at Freddy, reflecting on how well it had all been going up until that point. Ryan didn't seem to notice the sarcasm in the other boy's voice or, if he did, he ignored it. Just when Summer dared to think that it might not be a total disaster, the door flew open with a loud bang and they all looked up to see Trent and JD framed in the doorway.

"Hello, losers."

The air left Summer's lungs with an audible sigh; JD always did that to her. The older girl's breathtaking beauty never failed to affect Summer, and most likely everyone around her. She stood tall and slim, with long tanned legs that seemed to go in forever under her tartan skirt that was short, but not short enough to be slutty. Her white halter neck top clung to every curve, and her jet black hair cascaded down her back, shining under the dim lights in the coffee shop.

Even Freddy seemed taken in, his gaze fastened on JD's liquid black eyes which sparkled as she took in her surroundings. Katie appeared to be the only one not under JD's spell – which Summer knew would probably be broken once JD opened her mouth anyway. Katie's usually pleasant and happy face was creased up into a frown, which seemed to be directed more at Zack than JD.

Trent protectively slipped one arm around JD, proud of the stares his girlfriend was attracting but wanting to make it clear that she _was_ off-limits. Used to fading into obscurity beside her, Summer couldn't help thinking that Trent was attractive in his own right, and would probably get a lot more attention if he didn't always have the stunning JD by his side.

His mussy black hair was always curling over in soft spikes and his goatee would have looked out of place on anyone else but, somehow, just suited him impeccably. His pale skin was only accentuated by the silver ring through his eyebrow and he although looked nineteen, Summer knew for sure he'd just turned twenty one.

Katie was the first to speak, turning to Summer. "Who are they?" she demanded, refusing to allow the two beautiful people to intimidate her, but Ryan spoke first.

"_My_ friends," he said coolly, gently pulling Summer closer towards him. "Is that a problem?"

It _was_ a problem to Summer, actually, although she'd never say that out loud, and certainly not to Ryan. Although she loved Trent, he was one of the nicest guys she'd met, and JD was lovely too, but Ryan was different around them. He elevated to their status, and while this usually didn't bother her – subconsciously Summer probably did it as well – she knew it wouldn't work well around Freddy, Zack and Katie. She knew that her friends would see JD, Ryan and Trent as being stuck up and superior, and she knew that Ryan's friends would not even realize they were acting this way.

"No, not at all," Katie started to say, still making an attempt to be polite, but Freddy interrupted her.

"Yes, it _is_, actually." He turned and glared at Summer. "Jeez, Summer, you could at least have warned us instead of just letting them turn up. It's not like he needs moral support or a babysitter."

"First of all, I didn't realize this was _your_ coffee shop and that we all needed permission to be in here," Ryan said immediately, his hand tightening on Summer's arm, which she knew always happened when he was stressed. "Second of all, it wasn't _my_ idea to invite them here. Summer thought it would be nice if her friends and my friends could mix. Clearly, she was wrong."

"Is there a problem?" Everyone looked up at the sound of the melodic voice, and Zack even flushed slightly. JD smiled down at them all, aware of the effect she was creating. "I'm JD, and this is my boyfriend, Trent. It's nice to meet you all."

"Oh, how unusual," Katie said politely, although she was reminded immediately of Zach Braff's character in _Scrubs_, a TV show she adored. "What does it stand for?" she asked, adding only in her mind, _John Dorian?_.

"It's _just JD_, thank you," JD replied, smiling at the other girl but, as usual, Freddy had to speak up.

" Just JD? My, oh my." Sarcasm was evident in Freddy's voice for the second time that evening and Summer was grateful for Katie hitting his arm, managing to make it appear playful. Freddy took no notice, however, continuing in his scathing tones, "I didn't realize that two letters constituted a name."

JD raised one of her perfectly arched eyebrows at this rudeness, but nevertheless didn't press it. "And your name is?"

This was a touchy subject, although JD didn't know it – and if Summer herself hadn't known better, the mischievous sparkle in the older girl's eyes may have led her to believe otherwise. Freddy hated his name, calling it childish and stupid, but he hated Frederick even more and because he, as yet, hadn't managed to come up with an alternative, Freddy was the name he now gave her.

"Freddy," JD repeated, a fleeting expression of amusement crossing her face. "How... _delightful_. And may I be introduced to the rest of you?"

"I'm Katie."

"Zack." JD's eyes flickered across them both, pausing to rest on Zack and seeing the color flood to his face. Katie looked annoyed at this, Summer mused, then changed her mind. No, annoyed wasn't the word. Maybe more... disappointed. Trent seemed to notice this too and winked at Summer before smiling down at Katie.

"Katie, did you say your name was? Is that with a _y_, or _ie_?"

"It's _ie_, but it's really just a nickname for Kathryn," Katie replied, a faint blush now on _her_ cheeks, and Summer couldn't help smiling as she noticed Zack subtly move up to her friend, placing his hand on her arm somewhat possessively.

"Oh, awesome. I have a younger sister called Kathryn, she's fourteen. We call her Kat, though, not Kathryn."

"Aw, sweet. I've always wanted a little sister, but I've only got an older brother and we don't really speak about him," she joked, and Summer felt relieved when JD and Trent laughed appreciatively.

"What about you, Zack?" asked JD, discreetly bringing the other boy into the conversation, and Summer wondered at the fact that neither Zack or Katie could see that they were being manipulated – not in a bad way, but just that they were playing so easily into the other two's hands.

"I'm an only child," Zack replied quietly, and Summer looked around when she felt Ryan squeeze her arm.

"Those two are amazing match-makers, right?" She laughed lightly, leaning into him and feeling reassured by his touch. It was all going so well until Ryan decided to try and help Freddy join in. "So, I like your shirt." He nodded at the Metallica design.

"Really?" Freddy sat up, looking interested for the first time since they'd arrived. "You're a Metallica fan then?"

"Yeah, anything before _St Anger_. I think after that it all went a bit downhill, though. They didn't get on as well and it started to show on the record," Ryan said seriously, his brown eyes fixed on Freddy's own.

Freddy raised his eyes to the heavens and looked away. "_Great_. Another elitist. I guess you'd call them a sell out, huh?"

"'Course I wouldn't," Ryan replied, still trying to keep the conversation civil. "I never use that term; there's no such thing as a sell out."

"Well, sor-_ee_ for bringing it up in the first place," Freddy snapped, and Summer couldn't contain herself any longer.

"Frederick David Jones, just step off, OK?"

This got everyone's attention, especially Zack and Katie's. Not only had she used Freddy's full name, _including_ his middle name, but she'd also told him to 'step off,' an insult that all four of them had made a pact to use only in the worst situations, sort of as a measure of how serious it would be. Which meant that this was _very_ serious.

"Jeez, Summer, who shoved a stick up _your_ ass?"

"_Hey_." Ryan stood up, his hands unconsciously clenching themselves into fists. "I don't care how good of a friend you are, you do _not_ talk to Summer like that, and _especially_ not while I'm around."

Freddy stood up too, smaller than Ryan but with just as much attitude. Even at ten years old, Freddy had never been one to back away from a fight, sometimes getting him into some dangerous situations. "Hey, man, you wanna go?"

"Oh, spare me," Ryan said, in his most sarcastic tone. "I'm getting into a fight with a third-grader."

"Freddy might act stupidly sometimes but he is _not_ a third-grader. Don't judge him when you barely even made an effort to get to know him," Katie snapped, knowing she had to stick up for her friend, and JD rolled her eyes.

"Look, sweetie, you just look pretty and shut up where it doesn't concern you, 'kay?"

"Don't tell Katie to shut up!" Zack snapped, and Trent grinned.

"Aw, look, the little man's sticking up for his girlfriend."

"Oh, here we go," Summer sighed. Trent, JD and Ryan seemed to have slipped into their condescending natures, and she knew that this would only aggravate her friends further.

"Never mind. I'm out of here," JD said smoothly, and Trent gave her a light kiss on the cheek.

"Same here. If I wanted to hang around with kids then I'd go back to kindergarten." He smiled at Summer. "We'll catch you later, Sum."

"Yeah, bye Summer!" JD said lightly, giving the smaller girl a kiss on both cheeks before taking hold of Trent's arm, laughing and joking with him.

The remaining five were left in awkward silence for a while longer, until Summer stood up. "Come on, Ryan, I know you want to go with them. And to be honest, I don't think I want to be around my... _friends_ any longer. Not when they can't respect my boyfriend."

She stood up with Ryan, who dropped a light kiss on the top of her head before taking his hand and leading her, in silence, out of the coffee shop.

Not one of the friends spoke. They'd known each other for nine years, long enough by now to also know that the guilt they were feeling was mutual.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** My first AN in a while, because usually I figure you're here to read the chapter, not to hear me rambling on, so I just give you what I assume you came for. Whatever, this time is different.

Wyverna is _not_ a happy bunny. Usually I would elaborate on this by first of all stating that I am not, in fact, any kind of bunny, happy or otherwise and then go on to say what kind of animal I _would_ be if I had a choice, but like I said, you're here to read the chapter and not here to read my ramblings.

So it has come to my attention that lately some of you – and probably not the ones reading this, I bet you're all good kids – have been treating Deanna aka **Nanners-77** most unfairly. If you've got no idea what I'm talking about then I'm fine with you, go right on ahead, but I'm still not impressed with the rest of you. Deanna is one of the best and most valued authors on for a lot of different reasons.

The main one, I find, is that she spends a lot of her own time reading and reviewing stories. I know that a lot of us, me included, find ourselves 'too busy' or 'too tired' or whatever to review stories a lot of the time, and I understand that. But Deanna is no less busy than we are and she still takes the time to let you know what she thinks of it. And no 'wow you rock' style reviews, either, that I know I'm guilty of. No, Deanna's reviews always have a lot more substance than that. She never fails to give constructive criticism and her true thoughts, and not only does this help you to make your story better and more enjoyable, but it also means that when you _do_ get some praise – and, if you take what she says into account, you will – you know you've earned it, and it means so much more coming from a credible writer such as herself.

I realize that this is long for an author's note – more like an author's rant – but it needs to be said and I honestly feel the need to say it. Deanna's reviews are, as I've said, some of the best and most valued on here, and we should treat them as such. She never tries to be rude, she always manages to get her point across while being _helpful_ and _polite_. And yet some of you – and again, as I've said, probably not even the ones reading this – act towards her in completely unforgivable ways. There is no excuse at all for verbal abuse, even over the internet and _certainly_ not on a website such as this one, where we consider ourselves to be _writers_ and should therefore have better vocabularies than that.

The attitude of some of these so-called authors is beginning to reach a point where it is not worth her time anymore. No one _makes_ her review, and no one _forces_ her to give her much needed opinion; I, for one, know I would definitely miss her reviews. She has put a lot of her time and thoughts into this website, and it has certainly made the School of Rock community a better place to be. She constantly encourages and helps us, and for people to be so ungrateful that they throw it back in her face is just unacceptable.

I'm sorry to take up so much of your time if you're not guilty of this – consider this extremely long author's note to be making up for all the ones I've never posted – but I wanted to draw it to your attention. Deanna is considering leaving this website after she's finished her current story, and I would be right behind her. I don't want to see the SoR community fall to pieces – there's a lot of great people here – but it _has_ been going steadily downhill and I think that the pace will only get steeper if Deanna leaves. We _all_ owe her a lot – there isn't one person here that hasn't got a review here, I know that for a fact – and she's a really great friend who I in fact met through this site.

So thanks for reading. It feels nice to have got that out of my system.

* * *

"_She took me down and said_... _'Boys like you are overrated_... _so save your breath_..."

_Fall Out Boy; Chicago Is So Two Years Ago_

* * *

It was Freddy that spoke first.

"What a dick."

The words dropped from his mouth into the tense silence, and hung in the air between them. Katie knew they were either going to have an argument or stick together, and she also knew that if they _didn't_ club together on this then their friendship might well be over.

So she laughed. It was a high, nervous laugh that sounded brittle even to her own ears but it served its purpose. All three of them relaxed slightly and their spirits lifted, if not by much. Katie and Zack knew full well that Ryan _wasn't_ a dick, but Freddy was their friend and so they had to side with him even if they didn't believe it. That was just what friends did.

It was just a pity that Summer seemed to have forgotten that.

"Totally," Zack said quietly, his voice sounding loud in the distant quiet, and Katie squeezed his hand. It was a natural move, and she didn't even realize she'd done it until Zack gave her a smile, hope in his dark brown eyes, and she flushed uncomfortably.

"So here's my idea," Freddy said urgently, leaning forward in his seat as he got straight to the point, hands resting on knees. "We get rid of Ryan."

Katie and Zack exchanged a look, unsure about Freddy's new plan of action. "Get rid of Ryan? Are you sure?" Katie voiced her concerns cautiously, not wanting to anger Freddy who was already worked up. "I mean... Summer seems to really like him."

"Summer is a crap judge of character and we all know that," Freddy said bluntly. It was true. While Summer was the best at reading all these hotshot executive types and seeing straight through them, she might as well be blind when it came to relationships.

"Mmm," Katie mused in a neutral tone, refusing to commit herself just yet. "But don't you think 'getting rid' of him is a bit harsh? What are you going to do, hire a hitman?" The laughter died in her throat as the thought struck her that, when it came to Summer, Freddy might just do that.

"Don't be stupid." Freddy glared at her. "That would just complicate things."

"Dude, we all know you're mad at Ryan for whatever reason, but don't take it out on Katie," Zack spoke up, unconsciously placing his hand on the pretty girl's knee. "Let's just focus here, OK? What do you mean by getting rid of Ryan?"

"I _mean_ that we scare him off," Freddy replied, as though it were obvious, and sending Zack a glance to tell him that the hand-on-knee gesture had not gone unnoticed. Whoever said Freddy Jones couldn't be subtle was _so_ wrong.

"But how?" Katie repeated, struggling to keep her mind away from the warm pressure of Zack's hand. "I really don't see how..."

"We'll find a way," Freddy said determinedly. "We _will_. I just need to know that I've got your support." Neither of them answered, and Freddy fixed them with his most pleading stare. "_Pleeease?_" he begged, drawing the word out for as long as possible and using his patented puppy dog look. It never failed.

"Well, we might as well," Zack replied, glancing at Katie who stared straight ahead in an effort not to meet his gaze.

"We're in this together," she said firmly. "I don't think Ryan's that bad, but the way Summer acted wasn't on. She took _his_ side over ours, and she's known us since forever. And the way his friends turned on us!" She bit her lip. "I'm _in_."

"Me too," Zack agreed quickly, ignoring Freddy's knowing look. "He can't be any good for Summer."

"Awesome!" Freddy said cheerfully, sitting back in his chair and Katie noticed for the first time that they'd all been leaning in together, over the table. Like evil villains in the old movies, she thought absently, and a shiver ran down her spine. She shook it off immediately, and an idea struck her.

"Don't we need a name for this plan? You know, like in the... the old movies. Code Name Blue, or whatever."

"The eagle has landed. I repeat, the eagle has landed," Zack growled, pretending to issue orders into a walkie-talkie, and getting a laugh from the other two – a _genuine_ laugh this time.

"Mission... Break Up Summer And Ryan?" Freddy suggested, and then laughed again. "Mission BUSAR, how catchy," he added sarcastically.

Katie was about to add her own thoughts, when she noticed Zack deep in thought. "What is it?" she asked, unprepared for the sunny grin he gave her.

"I've got it!" he said triumphantly, ignoring Freddy's question of "Got what?" and his grin spread. "Project: Get Rid of Ryan. Aka..."

"Project: GROR?"

"Project: GRR!" Katie cried. "Of _course_, the 'of' is a little 'o', not a big one!" Now it was her turn for a grin. "Project: GRR," she repeated, pronouncing it _grrrr_. "I love it already."

The door chime rang its familiar chime, and Katie looked up guiltily to see Summer re-enter the shop, a scowl on her face. All three of them fell silent as she approached, muttering something about forgetting her purse. The sudden silence must have seemed suspicious, and Freddy took it upon himself to cover it up, with a cheery;

"So, how 'bout them Red Sox?"

He attempted to look innocent, and Zack blinked before quickly joining in. "Oh yeah, they're real good. I saw a game the other day and man, they just blew me away!"

Summer narrowed her eyes, her gaze falling on Katie. "Just what is going on here?"

Zack opened his mouth when Freddy cut in, neatly. "Project: GRR!" The two boys fell about laughing, leaving Katie to deal with an irate Summer – luckily, something she was more than used to by now.

"Just some stupid boy stuff," she said lightly, standing up and taking Summer's arm. "So anyway, I'm really sorry that I got off on the wrong foot with Ryan and his friends," she lied, steering Summer away from the table and beginning to lead her over to the door. "Do you think I could maybe come along with you...?" She turned around and pulled a face at the boys who smirked at her, knowing that they needed to use this time to actually figure out a plan.

"So," said Summer brightly, once they were outside of the coffee shop, "when are you and Zack going out?"

"Me and _Zack_?" Katie repeated incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

Summer rolled her eyes, deciding to forgive her friend. "Silly, I've seen the way he looks at you. It's only a matter of time..." Katie looked down at her hands, but Summer wasn't fooled. "Don't act innocent with _me_, Katie Hardcastle!"

Their voices faded from Freddy's hearing and he knew they must be far from the coffee shop by now. He turned to Zack, and winked.

"That decides it. We'll use Plan B..."

* * *

Sorry for the _incredibly_ short chapter, but what do you expect from me? I'm not exactly known for my long chapters, and this way I hope to keep your interest. Besides, I just really wanted to get this one out for now. Anyway, as I only got three reviews for the last chapter not that I'm complaining, of course! I decided that I might as well answer them personally.

LivingStoneLily: I like your username, btw And I updated relatively soon, too (for me)! I hope you liked this chapter :)

endymion015: Yeah, I wasn't sure if the whole bipolar thing was going to come across well, or whether it was going to seem like I couldn't make my mind up about Ryan's personality and how I wanted him to act (which was half true, anyway). I did originally have the idea of Ryan being a total dick, but then I started to write him and he... just _wasn't_ a dick. If that makes sense.  
JD and Trent are a lot like people I know; they seem nice at first but are just a _little_ shallow and/or patronizing. I don't know, I think I prefer the SoR crowd over all.

i am not a chipmunk: ily! -hugs- You're one of my favourite writers and reviewers on here. And I can't make my mind up about Ryan either, haha.

__


	4. Chapter 4

Wowee. This is short. But I'm still alive!

* * *

_"Why are you so far away... even when you're standing next to me..."_

_Pencey Prep; Lloyd Dobbler._

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* * *

_

"Okay," Freddy started, twisting the phone cord around his finger as he stretched out full length on his bed. "Me and Zack decided on a a plan. But." He bit his lip. "I'm not sure if it's going to work, you know."

Katie laughed. "Since when have your plans _ever_ worked, Jones?"

"Shut up," Freddy said automatically, only half paying attention to what the other girl was saying. "My plans are always bad-ass. Hello, who's idea was it to go to Dewey's apartment for Battle of the Bands?"

Katie paused. "Summer's. You just sat around trying to start a fight with Lawrence."

"Yeah, well, whatever. I'm older now. And that's not the point, anyway."

"Oh, really? Well. Explain to me this plan, then."

"Okay." Freddy sat up, resting his head against the wall behind him. "Okay. Well."

"Are you actually nervous?"

"Me?" Freddy was affronted. "No. Of course not. I don't _get_ nervous. Whatever makes you think that?"

"Because you're playing for time," Katie said bluntly. "Do you even _have_ a plan?"

"Yes," Freddy replied defensively. "We make Ryan jealous. Or Summer jealous. Or both, I forget which."

"Well," the voice on the other side of the phone was slow, "it's a good idea, but I'm not sure if it'll actually help."

"It wiiiill," Freddy insisted, drawing out the word. "Seriously. We make Ryan jealous... okay, well, maybe it was making Summer jealous. That would probably work better."

"Jealous of _who_, though?"

"Um. Me?"

Katie rolled her eyes, forgetting that Freddy couldn't see her. "Freddy. Why on earth would Summer be jealous of you?"

"..Because she likes me? No, listen. Summer's going out with Ryan because he pisses us off. Seriously. So, right. I get a girlfriend and she'll piss Summer off. And. Summer will realize her love for me and break up with Ryan."

"Freddy." Katie was slightly confused. "You've had a girlfriend before. And, are you in love with Summer or something?"

"No," Freddy huffed impatiently. "I've not had girlfriends before, actually. Only... um. Girls. There's a difference there."

"And are you in love with Summer?" Katie pressed, intrigued in spite of herself.

"No," Freddy repeated. "But she's in love with me. Everyone is. Even you were, at one point."

"Don't remind me."

"Seriously, Kates, it'll work. I swear it will."

"But, uh. How are you going to get a girlfriend? It's not exactly easy..." Katie trailed off as she remembered who she was talking to, and she could tell Freddy was grinning on the other side of the phone."

"Just you wait."


End file.
